Rest versus escape | CBN.com

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one last thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think of things that are excellent and praiseworthy. ~ Philippians 4: 8 NLT

I was talking about rest with a Jewish believer in Christ who mentioned that he observed the Saturday rest every week on a Saturday night to Saturday night. He told me that rest should bring us closer to God, so he left this time aside for that purpose.

My life would change radically if I reserved 24 hours each week to rest and connect with Jesus. I reflected on some of the ways in which I tend to relax after the hustle and bustle of the holidays or even at the end of a long week. Instead of dedicating myself to restful activities to get closer to the Lord, I often resort to ways of escape. It can be easy to give us permission to please our meat after the intensity of the preparation and celebration of the holidays. After all, we baked all those cookies, we wrapped all those gifts, we attended all those meetings and we put all those decorations. Do not we deserve a break? God wants us to have a necessary rest, but I am often attracted to the things that do not leave me feeling restored and closer to the Lord. At the end of a law and order marathon and several ice cream bowls, I usually do not experience a healthier mind and body.

So after the holidays, we must ask ourselves this question: What relaxing activities will bring us closer to God and will be restorative for our souls? The answer to this question for me includes things like:

Sleep. When I'm deprived of physical rest, I get in a bad mood and a bad temper. I open myself to temptation when I'm tired. Sleeping makes me feel closer to God and more pleasant in general.

Walking. Taking a walk in a park or nature reserve brings me closer to the Lord while I breathe fresh air and observe the creation of God. It can be difficult to do this depending on the weather, but even ten minutes …